Timeline of events in the case of the disappearance and alleged murder of Calgary’s Nathan O’Brien, 5, and his grandparents, Alvin and Kathryn Liknes.

On July 5, Calgary police and RCMP searched a property near Airdrie, Alta., just north of Calgary. They recovered agreen Ford and took in Douglas Garland for questioning.

By:The Canadian Press, Published on Tue Jul 15 2014

Police announced Tuesday that Douglas Garland, 54, has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Alvin and Kathryn Liknes, and second-degree murder in the death of 5-year-old Nathan O’Brien. Events in the case have included:

June 30: Calgary police issue an Amber Alert after 5-year-old Nathan O’Brien and his grandparents, Alvin and Kathryn Liknes, are reported missing. Police say Nathan’s mother had dropped her son off at the Liknes home the night before for a sleepover. She found all three family members missing when she went to collect him the next day. Police describe all three disappearances as “suspicious.”

July 1: Police express interest in speaking to anyone who attended an estate sale at the Liknes home in the weekend leading up to the disappearances.

July 3: Police say footage from nearby closed-circuit televisions as well as tips from the public have moved the investigation along, but decline to provide details.

July 4: Police confirm that a violent incident took place at the Liknes home, adding they recovered forensic evidence. They also release images of a green Ford pickup truck and say they believed the unidentified driver may have some information.

July 5: Calgary police and RCMP descend on a property near Airdrie, Alta., just north of Calgary. Police recover the green Ford and take in Douglas Garland for questioning.

July 6: Police enlist the help of a dog and a boat as they continue to comb the Airdrie property. Garland is released, but still publicly declared a person of interest.

July 7: Douglas Garland, 54, appears in a Calgary court on an identity theft charge unrelated to the Liknes/O’Brien disappearance. He is held in police custody pending a bail review. Rod O’Brien tells reporters at the courthouse that there is a connection between Garland and the family, but would not elaborate.

July 8: Calgary police say they have other leads to explore besides Garland and the Airdrie property, but offer no details.

July 9: Police say they’ve expanded their search to the Spyhill Landfill northwest of Calgary. They also confirm that Garland’s sister is in a relationship with a member of the Liknes family, and that the Airdrie property belongs to his parents.

July 10: Police say they are probing business dealings in the Liknes family as part of their investigation. Officers did not provide details, but reports surfaced that Alvin Liknes recently had to close his gas exploration company after equipment was seized for unpaid taxes. Police said they had also begun searching other city landfills. Later that day, about 500 people attended a candlelight vigil at a community centre near the Liknes home.

July 11: Garland is released from police custody on bail and given strict conditions, including instructions not to return to his parents’ Airdrie farm where police were still conducting searches.

July 12: Police return to the Liknes home to conduct more searches even as they continue to sweep the Airdrie property and local landfills.

July 13: Police conclude searching the Liknes home but say the investigation continues at the Airdrie property and local landfills.

July 14: Calgary police say two charges of first-degree murder and one charge of second-degree murder are pending in the case, but don’t immediately identify the suspect because charges had not been laid.

July 15: Calgary police say Douglas Garland, 54, has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Alvin and Kathryn Liknes, and second-degree murder in the death of 5-year-old Nathan O’Brien.

More on thestar.com

We value respectful and thoughtful discussion. Readers are encouraged to flag comments that fail to meet the standards outlined in our
Community Code of Conduct.
For further information, including our legal guidelines, please see our full website
Terms and Conditions.